Power-transmission gear.



J. ROBSON. POWER TRANSMISSION GEAR. APPLICATION FILED FEB. n. 1915.

1,243,223. Patented 001;. 16,1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. ROBSON. POWER TRANSMISSION GEAR. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11. 1915.

1 243 223 Patented Oct.16,1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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J. ROBSON. POWER TRANSMISSION GEAR. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11. 1915.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

J. ROBSON. POWER TRANSMISSION GEAR. APPLICATION FILED FEB-11.1915.

1,243,223. Patented Oct. 16, 1917.

v 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- //7//: afar: .756 fab UNITE STATES PATENT onrion.

JOHN ROBSON, OF WESTMINSTER, LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE VARIABLESPEED GEAR LIMITED, OF WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND.

POWER-TRANSMISSION GEAR.

1,243 223. I Specification of Letters Patent. Patented 001;, 16, 1917,

Application filed February 11, 1915. Serial No. 7,641. I

To all whom it may concern. clutch device. When this electric motor op-Be it known that I, JOHN RoBsoN, a suberates the pump unit of a variablespeed ject of the King of Great Britain, residing hydraulic transmissiongear, the solenoid at Vickers House, Broadway, Westminster, may normally(2'. e. when the motor circuit '55 5 in the county of London, England,have inis operative) be retained against the resistvented certain newand useful Improvements ance of a spring in a position to hold the in orRelating to Power-Transmission Gear, motor unit clutched to the rudderand the of which the following is a specification. hand-wheel clutchedto the control device of This invention relates to power transmisthesaid gear but declutched from the rud- 6O 10 sion gear and hasparticular reference to an der. In the event of the electric current noimproved means of utilizing such gear for longer passing, the springmoves the clutch the steering apparatus of submarine and device todeclutch the motor unit from the other boats in which a clutch device isemrudder and the handwheel from the rudder ployed for normallyconnecting the said and to clutch the handwheel to the rudder. 6'5 gearto the rudder post, this clutch device In addition to or instead of thesolenoid a being capable of actuation to declutch the centrifugalgovernor connected to the clutch rudder post from the power transmissiondevice may be employed for effecting a posiear and clutch it to thesteering handwheel tive movement of the said device in the event so thatthe rudder post can be operated by of the motor breaking down. This cen-7O hand in the event of the power transmission trifugal governor wouldbe employed alone gear breaking down. In mechanism involvwhen the primemover isrotary and other I ing the use of a hydraulic motor for actuthanan electric motor.

ating the rudder or other member that is to In orderthat the saidinvention may be be operated, a hand operated clutch device clearlyunderstood and readily carried into 75 has been used for the purpose ofde-clutcheffect I will describe the same more fully ing the handwheelfrom the control device with reference to the accompanying drawand themotor from the rudder and clutchings, in which ing the handwheel to therudder. The fact Figure 1 is a more or less diagrammatic that thisclutch device has to be operated by plan showing a constructional formof the 80- hand leads to loss of time when in case of invention appliedto the steering apparatus emergency it is necessary to immediately reofa boat. sort to manual operation when the motive Figs. 2 and 3 arerespectively a side elevaower fails. tion and a plan (with the upperportion of The chiefobject of the invention is to pro- Fig. 2 omittedfor sake of clearness) show- 85 vide improved means for enabling the ingmore or less diagrammatically, another change from power to handactuationv to be form of the invention also applied to the effectedwithout the necessity of employing steering apparatus of a boat, andFigs. 4., 5, a manually operated clutch device. 6, 7 and 8 are viewssimilar to Fig. 1 show- According to this invention I provide ingmodified forms of the invention. 90 means whereby, in the event of thepower In these figures, A is the rudder post and transmission gearbreaking down, the clutch B the hydraulic motor for actuating theruddevice that normally connects the gear to the der post. This motor isin Fig. 1 of the rudder (or other member to be operated) rotary type andin Figs. 2 and 3 is constiwill be automatically caused to declutch thetuted by two presses. C represents a vari- 95 rudder from the said gearand to clutch it to able delivery and reversible pump for supthesteering or other handwheel. When an plying liquid under pressure to themotor electric motor is employed as the prime 13, this pump being drivenby a constant mover, the means for automatically eifecting speed primemover C. C represents the the clutching and declutching may compriseshaft appertaining to the control device of 100 a solenoid arranged inthe motor circuit, the the pump- D represents the handwheel for core ofthis solenoid being connected to the adjusting the said control devicewhen the rudder post is being operated by power and for actuating therudder post by hand when required. E, E represent the clutch devices andE represents the solenoid appertaining thereto. E (Fig. 5) representsthe centrifugal governor that supplements or replaces the solenoid E aIn the example shown by Fig. 1, the shaft of the motor B carries apinion b gearing with a spur wheel 2) ed on the shaft suitably geared tothe rudder post A. The spur wheel I) is formed with clutch jawsadaptedto engage with the aforesaid clutch member E which is slidably keyed tothe shaft B. The clutch member E is double faced and is adapted, whendisplaced from the position shown, to engage with a clutch d keyed on ashaft d connected with the aforesaid handwheel D. To the shaft d isslidably keyed the other clutch member E which normally (as shown)engages with a'spur wheel 0 gearing with an other spur wheel. 0. Thelatter wheel is slidably connected to a' counter shaft 0 which is screwthreaded to engage with a pinion 0 gearing with the aforesaid spur wheelI). This counter shaft is suitably connected to the shaft C of thecontrol device of the pump.

The two clutch members, E, E are connected together and to the core ofthe solenoid E by a rod e this core being controlled by a spring E Whenthe rudder post is being operated by power the clutch members are heldin the position shown, by the solenoid E that is to say the member Econnects the motor B with the rudder. post A and the clutch member Econnects the hand wheel D with the shaft C In this position of theclutch members, the parts a, ctand c operate as a hunting gear to bringthe control device of the pump 0 to rest in the zero position as is wellunderstood. That is to say, the counter shaft 0 is slidably connected atone end to the spur wheel 0 and at the other end is screw threaded toengage with threads formed in the pinion 0 Thus when the hand wheel D isrotated the counter shaft 0 also rotates and is screwed into or out ofthe pinion c which is held stationary owing to 'its connection with themotor unit, B. The axial movement of the counter shaft 0 effects therequired displacement of the shaft C of the control device. Theconsequent movement of the motor unit B rotates the pinion c anddisplaces the counter shaft C axially in the reverse direction, the spurwheel 0 being at this time held against rotation by the hand wheel D.This reverse displacement of the counter shaft returns the shaft C toits original the motor unit B to rest.

If the circuit through the electric prime which is loosely mountpositionand brings (which will be deenerfrom the hand-wheel D. The governor E,

Fig. 5, operates uponthe clutch members directly when the speed of theprime mover C materially falls.

In the construction shown by Figs. 2 and 3, motors X of the press typeare used, the rams being connected to a crosshead on the rudder post A.In other respects this construction is substantially the same as thatillustrated by Fig. 1. It should be observed, however, that the clutchmember E is double faced, this being necessary to provide a connectionbetween the shaft d and the rudder post A through bevel Wheels 0*, 0when the solenoid E is deenergized. It will be understood that in boththe constructions herein described, two solenoids may be employed, oneoperating upon each of the clutch members E, E, as shown in Fig. 6.

In the construction shown by Fig. 4 the clutch E is dispensed with. Inthis case the clutch E is formed on a toothed wheel E meshing with thetoothed wheel 0 and the toothed wheel a is rigidly mountedon the shaft05 that meshes with the toothed wheel 0. The toothed wheels E 0 are soformed that they remain in constant engagement with each other in spiteof the sliding movement of the toothed wheel E carrying the clutch, sothat the hunting gear remains n operation Whether the rudder post isbeing actuated by the steering wheel or by the motor unit B; in thelatter case the hunting gear operates'in substantially the same manheras that above described and in the former case the control device Cremains stationary'owing to the fact that the tendency for the steeringwheel shaft d to dis place the control device through the hunting gearis nullified by the movement of the toothed wheel E In this constructionthe number of the parts of the apparatus is reduced, the load on thesolenoid for operating the clutch is reduced as compared with thearrangement in which two clutches are em ployed, and the hunting gearalways remains 1n its correct relative position when the rudder is beingoperated'manually by the steering hand wheel;

When the improved apparatus is employed for actuating thesteerlngmechanism of a'submarine, the said apparatus may be arranged in the aftcompartment contiguous ranged in one of the middle compartments so thatit IS' readily accessible for adjust ment. The apparatus may be usedeither in conjunction with the vertical rudder, or with the horizontalrudders of hydroplanes.

Instead of employing a pump for supplying pressure fluid to a. rotary orother motor or motors, the latter may as shown in Fig. 7 be driven bypressure fluid obtained from hydraulic or pneumatic mains F, F, of whichthe former is the pressure main and and the latter the exhaust main. Inthis case the aforesaid control device of the pump is replaced by acontrol valve F arranged between the motor B and the mains F, F andtheclutch devices E, E are operated by a suitable apparatus controlledby the pressure of the fluid in the main F. This apparatus comprises apiston F arranged in a chamber F connected to the main F. The piston iscontrolled by a spring f and is connected to one end of a lever f whoseother end is connected, preferably through a pin and slot arrangement,to the aforesaid rod 6 of the clutches E, E. If the pressure of thefluid should fail the spring f will rock the lever f and thereby movethe clutch E into its disengaging position and the clutch E intoengagement wit the part d as previously explained. The pin and slotarrangement between the lever 7" and the rod 6 enables small movementsof the lever f to take place (due to variations in the pressure of thefluid in the main F) without moving the rod 6.

An electric motor can as shown by Fig. 8 be employed for operating therudder or other member directly instead of through the variable speedhydraulic gear above described, and inthis case a rheostat G takes theplace of the control device of the ump unit, the aforesaid solenoid orsolenoi s E being employed for operating the clutch devices.

The improved apparatus may be used in any circumstances where 1t may bedesirable to change quickly from power operation of any moving part tohand operation. Such. a result is desirable not only in the steeringapparatus of submarine and other vessels, but, for example, in theelevating and training mechanism of. ordnance, and in winding andhoisting mechanism in general.

What I claim and desire to secure by ters Patent of the United Statesis 1. In power transmission gear, the combination with the operatingmotor, the member driven thereby, and a hand operated member, of means,automatically when gear breaks down, for motor from the member Letcominginto operation the power transmission disconnecting said driven therebyand 'ated member.

2. In power transmission gear, the combination with the operating motor,the member driven thereby, and a hand operated member, of a clutchdevice normally connecting said motor to the member driven thereby,and'means, coming into. operation automatically when the powertransmission gear breaks down, for causing said clutch device todisconnect the motor from the member driven thereby and to connect thismember to the hand operated member.

3. In power transmission gear, the combination with the operating motor,the member driven thereby, .and a hand operated member, of a solenoidarranged in the motor circuit for automatically disconnecting said motorfrom the member driven thereby and connecting this member to the handoperated member when electric current ceases to pass to the motor.

4. In power transmission gear, the combination with the operating motor,the member driven thereby, the control device of said motor, and a handoperated control member connected to said control device, of means,coming intdoperation automatically when the power transmission gearbreaks down, for disconnecting said motor from the member driventhereby, for disconnecting the hand operated control member from thecontrol device and for connecting the last mentioned member to themember normally driven by the motor.

5. In power transmission gear, the combination with the operating motor,the member normally driven thereby, the control device of said motor andthe hand operated control member normally connected to said device, of aclutch normally connecting the motor to the member driven thereby,another clutch normally connecting thehand operated control member tothe control device, and means, coming into operation automatically whenthe power transmission gear breaks down, for moving the first mentionedclutch to disconnect the motor from the member normally driven therebyand connect this member to the hand operated control member, and formoving the other clutch to disconnect the hand operated control memberfrom the control device.

6. In power transmission gear, the combination with the operating motor,the member normally driven thereby, the control device of said motor andthe hand operated control member normally connected to said devicethrough a hunting control gear which is also actuated by said membernormally driven by the motor, of a clutch normally hunting control gearvand means, coming into operation automatically when the powertransmission gear breaks down, for moving the first mentioned clutch todisconnect the motor from the member normally driven thereby and connectthis member to the hand operated control member and for moving the otherclutch to disconnect the hand operated control member from the huntingcontrol gear. I I

In testimony whereof I aflix ,in presence of two Witnesses.

JNO. ROBSON. lVitnesses: v

T. SELBY VVARDLE, Tnos. F. HARGREAVES.

my signature

